Floor mat



Jul 14, 1925.

' 1,545,879 c. M. CAMPBELL v FLOOR MAT Filed Feb. 4., 1925 Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STA-T CARL MERRITT CAMPBELL, OF HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND.

FLOOR HAT.

Application filed February 4, 1925. Serial no. 6,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL MERRITT CAMP- BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hagerstown, in the county of Washington and State of Maryland, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Floor Mats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a floor mat having an approach that is practically proof against curlin or dc.- formation in use, without theaddition of stiileners in the approach, and in which added rigidity may be supplied. at intervals throughout the mat and between the end approaches, by means of connectin rods or pintles of heavier or greater resistmg quality than the other connecting rods or pintles.

The invention consists of a 'mat of the character described, in which each approach is composed of transversely arranged long links and short links, these links being threaded on connecting rods or pintles, referably of U-shape, both of the limbs 0 one of these connecting rods or pintles engaging the long links, and only one of its limbs engaging the short links, and'the other limb engaging one end of the first transverse row of links next to the approach, in addition to engaging the long links as I will proceed now to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, 1n the, several fi res of which like parts are similarly designated,

Figure l is a top plan'view of one approach and a series of loody links. Fig. 2 is an edge view on the same scale as Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an edge view, on a larger scale, of one approachand a series of succeeding links in cluding a pair of links connected by a more rigid pintle and seen from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2, and showing by dotted lines how the approach is hinged and turns over under compulsion or when neces sary. Fi 4 is aside elevation of one of the longer 'lin s of the approach. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of another form of approach link of the lon r type. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the g orter links used in the approach. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of oneof the intermediate links perforated to receive a pintle of ordinary size. Fig.

8 is a side elevation of the form of links that will be used in connection with the use of a pintle, of larger size or gage of w1re as well as with pint es of smaller size )r gage.

scalloped as at 3, for the usual purposes,

while the other portion 4 is left plam or unscalloped. Or the longer links may be without scallops as shown in Fig. 5. In

either case these longer links are providedwith four holes 5 arranged in pairs to receive both of the limbs of the connecting rods or pintles 6 of substantially conventional U-shape and small size, and the free ends of these rods or pintles are screwthreaded and adapted to receive nuts 7, although any other usual orapproved means may be used for securing these rods or pintles in position.

The shorter links 2 have three holes 8 and 9, the holes 8 constituting a pair and being engaged by the first described pintle in connection with its engagement with the outer .pair of holes in the longer links, while the holes 9 are engaged by one of the limbs of the second pintle, both limbs ofthe said second pintle engaging the longer links. The other limb of the second pintle engagesone of a pair of holes in groups of shorter links interposed between the inner ends of the lon er links and in longitudinal ali ent with the larger links of the approac As shown in Fig. 8 and following the arrangement of Figs. 1,2 and 3, this second transverse row of links 10 has one hole 11 of a diameter to receive a connecting rod or pintle 6 of smaller gage, while the other hole 12 is of a diameter to receive one of the limbs of a connecting rod or pintle of. larger gage. Y

The a proach is practically pivoted upon that lim of the larger gge 1pintle which engages the hole 12 of the in 10, so that the approach may be turned over. upon the body of the mat, as indicated by dotted hues in Fig. 3.

Alternatmg with rows of links 10, are the pa y while the links 16 of the rows between the rows of links 10, Fig. 8, would be of the construction shown in Fig. 7; that is to say, the links 16 are used in the body of the met. The links 16 are perforated to receive pintles of the smaller gage of wire.

While I have shown the larger links as lain and partly scalloped, Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, and also have shown them as all plain, Fig. 5, it is obvious that these longer links may be scalloped throughout. 'i So also the links, 2, Fig. 6, may be either plain, or scalloped in partor in Whole. So also the links shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 may be scalloped or plain. The links used in the construction of the approach may be of less height than the li s of the body of the mat in order to provide'an approach of relativel insignificant height, and thus avoid or mimmize the denger of tripping the user'or obstructing his m I r e approach with practically two connecting rods or pintles forming part of its construction and with the longer links arranged on the outside, is of a rigidity that is practically immune from buckling or .curin in use, and yet'has the necessary flexibi ity for rolling up and for storage.

The bodyof the mat has imparted to it an increased rigidity by the use of the connecting rods or pintles of larger diameter.

or materials of greater rigidity.

As already indicated, leather mats as previously constructed are apt to curl or buckle on the edge, and this causes the edgeto stand up from the floor with conseqqlllient danger of tripping to pedestrians. e kicking of feet against the edge may cause the wires composing the pintles to bend upwardly, thus causmgthe mat, to stand up away from the floor.

As is well known, leather is porous, and a mat constructed from it is wheat to curlmg or buckling when exposed to varyin degrees of moisture due to expansion an contraction of the leather.

These conditions are counteracted by the use of the heavier U-shaped connecting rods or pintles inserted instead of the regular lighter wire pintles at intervals of approximately twen inches throughout the mat. Where a sin e stiffener rod is used'in con- 'unction with the Ordinary small wire shaped pintles, they are passe t ugh the center of thelinks between the limbs of the intles and therefore a considerable part of t e links must be cut away to allow for their passage, with the result that the links are weakened. In myjnvention the linkconnectin pintles of 'lar er used in t e manner and or e. same purpose as pintles of smaller wire, and the diameter of the ends of the links is enlarged sufliciently to allow for the increased close proximity.

wire are possess at least double the strength of the single rod, and in addition both limbs of the pintle pass through the mat and in Because ofthe facts stated, it is essential that the approaches be reinforced and given greater strength, and this is accomplished in the a proaches of this invention. The solid en construction offers the uired amount of resistance to curling and ucklin It is impractical to insert. heavy r s and yet retain the much desired a proach of lower level than the body of t e mat and thereby reduce the likeli ood of pedestrians stumbling. In my construction the links of the approach are thin in vertical dimension'as compared with the links of approaches of common construction, and thinner than the intermediate links of the mat.

Another advantage of this approach is the removal of the hinge to a relatively long distance from the end of the mat, 3. t

indicated by the dotted lines in Fi is obvious that the farther this 15 removed from the end, the less the likelihood of the approach being kicked up, and thus offering an obstruction for pedestrians. Still another advantage of this extra solid approach is its wearing quality. preach receives the hardest usage of the entire mat, and in many cases is the first portion to wear out. The present approach] will outlast the rest of the mat, and the smooth unbroken edge will always present a pleasing appearance. I

The common method of fastening the ends of the pintles is by bending them together and so dering them. or fastening metal clip, or otherwise. Experience has shown that these ends, thus fastened, often become loosened through hard usa and thus allow the mat to come apart. nstead of using this mode of fastening, I screwthnead the ends of the pintles and apply thereto metal nuts, the ends of the intles extending slightly beyond the nuts an these Fig. 1. so as to prevent the nuts from com;

ing 0 thereby insurin a permanent fastening which is not like y to work loose.

The'heavier pintles may be used at any desired points in the mat and in any desired number, and some or all of the pintles may be secured by screwthreads and nuts, on someb screwthreads andnuts and others by any other usual or approved securing means.

with a The ap- Other variations in the details of 'construction are permissible within the princiclaims following.

. posed of alternating groups of relatively large and small links of relative thinness in 6 vertical dimension, the large links pierced transversely with four holes and the small links pierced transversely with three holes, the groups of links being fastened together by two adjacent U-shaped pintles, the large links engaged by both limbs of both pintles and the small links by both limbs of one of the pintles and by one of the limbs of the other pintle. i

2. A floor mat, having an approach composed of groups of links of relativethinness in vertical dimension and pierced transversely and fastened together by two adjacent U-shaped pintles, the links being in alternating groups of links of different length, there being longer links on the out- 20 side, the longer links having four holes each to receive the limbs of both of the pintles and the alternating groups of shorter links having three holes to receive both of the limbs of the outermost pintle and one of the. 25

limbs of the innermost pintle.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto igtggny hand this 3rd dayof February A. D.

CARL MERRITT CAMPBELL. 

